Tuesday, 21 May 2013

Candied Pecan Berry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Today, I'm bringing you a lovely, rainbowy, salad that I posted on the other blog. We always add cream cheese so it's not dairy free, but you could easily swap out the cream cheese for some grilled chicken for a proteinous meal. Enjoy.

Candied Pecan Berry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Other variations on this salad: You can use any combination of nuts,
fruit, and cheese that you want. Sometimes I use mandarin oranges and
cashews, sometimes I use apples and walnuts, you could use soft goat
cheese, blue cheese, or feta cheese instead of cream cheese, you could
add chicken or bacon, just be creative!

Grease
a piece of parchment or wax paper and set aside. In a large pan (I use
non-stick) combine the pecans, brown sugar, and butter. Cook over medium
heat stirring occasionally until the sugar is pretty much melted into a
syrup (it doesn't have to be completely melted if you don't want it to
be). Spread onto prepared parchment paper and sprinkle with a little
kosher salt. Allow to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Cut
up the lettuce, onion, and cream cheese (if using). To cut the cream cheese into
chunks, you'll want to use a big, sharp knife and wet it between slices.
If you're having trouble, you can always just pull it into chunks.
Layer the lettuce, berries, nuts, onion, and cream cheese. Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.